Smith participated in the annual National Heads-Up Poker Championship in Las Vegas, and defeated David Williams–a professional and one of the best–in the first round of the Hearts Bracket at Caesar’s Palace. Last year, Smith beat former World Series of Poker Champion Phil Ivey in a heads-up game at a celebrity charity event, earning him a $10,000 seat at the 2010 WSOP main event.

There, he was eliminated after three hours of play, a learning experience that he will use in the future–probably in order to do some more winning.

“I’m learning more about the game,” Smith said after his exit, his three tens bested by three jacks, per the Dallas Morning News. “From that last hand, I learned a little bit, but at the end of the day, it is what it is. You’ve got to be able to get the cards. You’ve got to be able to understand when to bet, when not to bet. And then you just go from there.”

Who knew? Maybe Emmitt can hook up with one of the top poker sites and really get a foothold in the industry.